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Timeline
Overview This is the timeline of the ISF universe. The counting of years is based on the time since the meteor strike. The current year is: 440 Year 0 A meteor came down from the skies, obliterating everything around it with its impact. The amount of debris launched into the air caused a global rise in temperature, and the surface of the planet became uninhabitable due to high temperatures and toxic fumes. Millions died. The meteor, however, consisted largely of a previously unknown element known als Emerald. This element had the ability to negate the effects of gravity when in touch with any solid structure. It distributed itself after impact, and as a result, made landmasses rise up into the air. The Emerald deposits in these newly formed islands carried them up to 7 miles above the surface, enough to escape the toxic void below. The few people that survived were lucky enough to be stuck on one of these landmasses. Years 1 - 100 Following this apocalyptic event, grass and trees soon began to regrow. The people managed to survive in ample conditions for the following years. During this time, they started to map and explore their new continent, nicknaming it Emberland. To them, it was the only known bastion of humanity left on earth. Years 100 - 200 The people began to organize themselves. New towns were established, new cultures developed, and the old world was soon forgotten. Emberland became crowded, most of the continent being used for farming. A large city on the southern edge of Emberland gradually grew to be known as the new capital of the world, named Davorfall. Around this time, people also began to experiment with Emerald, the element on which their survival depends. Year 220 It is thought that around the year 220, a man by the name of Patrick Lewiston discovered that when crushing Emerald into dust and mixing it with hot air, it creates strongly levitating gas. He managed to change its levitational energy by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the gas. Although primitive, he is known to have made the first airship. In the following years, it was mostly employed by traders to ship goods around Emberland, staying carefully near the edge of the continent. Many early airships were known to be blown off into the blue due to unexpected gales and storms, and were lost forever. Year 238 A huge landmass was spotted off the western edge of Emberland, and drifted close enough to be spotted some 4 miles away. A brave soul by the name of Anthony Hegarth volunteered to sail his airship directly towards the island. He arrived succesfully, and became the first man to step foot on another island. More ships followed, and soon the new island was colonized. This led to the thought that more islands might exist and are able to be colonized. The island became known as Hegarth's Hill. Years 250-300 Airships became bigger and more reliable. More islands were discovered over periods known as "Island rushes". During these periods, groups of islands were reported to be spotted and then swiftly colonized. This rapid expension created many different colonies with different rules and customs. With distances becoming shorter due to better airships, a reform was called for. Year 305 After many years of talking and debating, an agreement was made between all colonies, that they should unite under the flag of Davorfall, as the Empire of Emberland. It was the first kingdom since the fall of the old world. It was to be ruled by a royal family, the Lagrasse family, which previosuly was the most rich and influencial merchant family on Emberland. With this creation of a new centralized government, the colonies enjoyed great prosperity in trade. Years 322 With great trade comes great risks. Piracy became a common occurence in the trade routes of the Empire. The pirates stole airships with their cargo and made hideouts on small unmarked islands known as "drifters". The empire declared that a royal navy would be installed to keep peace in the sky. The navy was called the Emberland Sky Fleet, i.e. ESF. Years 322-330 Air battles were now starting to become common in the further reaches of the Empire. Navy ships were becoming bigger, and were equipped with cannons. Due to the empire's growing commerce, it loosened up its trade and wealth laws. This capitalistic form of government allowed private companies to grow significantly. The navy itself was also allowed to handle more affairs on its own. They built their own ships, made their own money through the reclamation prices of stolen goods, and even settled some islands themselves and build their supply stations there. Years 330-400 For the next 70 years, a period of relative peace and tranquility became known as the "Fair period". During this period the standards of living improved greatly. Inventions were made, cities grew, The aerial regions and windflows were mapped and thoroughly explored, Davorfall gave rise to a university, a library, and a stock exchange, Emerald was studied further, and the empire kept on colonizing. Years 400-407 Emberland had been suffering minor droughts for the past few years, which gradually became worse each year. The edges of the continent became so dry that they crumbled up and broke apart. When a small town on the northern edge of Emberland collapsed under its own weight, it gave rise to panic and distress among the population of Emberland. Emberland was the world's supplier of abundant wheat and cattle, but due to the drought, it was no longer able to supply the demand. This caused a spike in prices of products like grain, barley, hops and rice. Many herds of cattle were moved to less favourable islands to continue their production. The drought brought havoc on the empire's trades. Years 407-410 The Yvorlands, a southern collection of islands, had little food production on its own and relied heavily on Emberland exports. They requested aid from the empire, but the empire decided that the protection of Emberland was of greater concern. Being repeatably denied their requests for food, the Yvorlands resorted to smuggling wares in from other islands. Year 410 The ESF eventually caught one of the smuggling routes going in to the Yvorlands. They caught a shipment of flour being unloaded at the Yvor port of Sevenstown. The townsfolk massively defended the smugglers, and the ESF was forced to open fire on the crowd. This massacre became known as "White Wednesday" due to the flour sacks creating white clouds when hit by musketfire. This massacre echoed over the world, and was soon followed by mobs of Yvor citizens holding protests throughout the Yvorlands capital Kilgarad, demanding better treatment. At some point an ESF supply-point had to be abandoned because it was overrun by Yvor citizens. The empire declared the attackers rebels. Tensions remained high, and ESF workers could not no longer safely walk the streets of Yvorland cities without being harrassed or attacked. Year 411 The next year, a group of Yvor politicians and congressmen met in an abandoned theatre in Kilgarad, to start the foundation of a trade union that seeked to supply the Yvorlands with foodwares from other lesser islands. This trade union largely consisted of smugglers and ex-pirates. This semi-political union became known as the "Ivory Lance". It was immediately declared an illegal assembly by the empire, and in response, the Ivory Lance began conscripting Yvor citizens for their own militia's, and started building their own ships, to "protect their right of trade". They continued to smuggle wares into the Yvorlands, and gained popularity among the populace. Year 415 The drought on Emberland continued, and the empire, fearing the loss of Davorfall, began to seek alternative places for their capital. A scientist by the name of Erikson Vellandrion proposed the building of a city that was wholly independent from any island. In his experiments, he utilized Emerald in a solid state, instead of a gas, like airships do. This allowed emerald to be liberally mined and used as foundation of buildings bigger than any airship previously build. After several failed attempts of building a sustainable building site, Vellandrion finally managed to make a platform that levitated stably. In his attempt to sway investors into funding his project further, he famously stayed and lived on his platform, free from any attachments, for more than a year, to prove that living free from land was indeed possible. During this time, the platform drifted significantly, and was lost for some months, after which it had to be towed back to Davorfall. Vellandrion's unbelievable reappearance persuaded a lot of merchants into backing the project. Year 418 Tensions between the Yvorlands and the empire continued rising. In a ambitious act of rebellion, the Ivory Lance, who in the mean time infiltrated many government positions in the Yvorlands, declared the Yvorlands independent from the Empire of Emberland. Stating that a government led by the people, a "democracy" was the way the newly formed Yvorland Republic was to be ruled. The empire, far too busy with the drought, feared that other colonies might follow their example. So in an act of despiration, they gave the ESF almost unconditional power over the military and justice system of the empire, to quell the rebellion, while the real government remained occupied with civil matters. After some reforms, the ESF rebranded itself as the Integrational Sky Federation i.e. ISF, and send almost all of their fleets south to the Yvorlands. Year 419 Erikson Vellandrion's project was put on hold due to the civil war. Within the first year of the civil war, Kilgarad was taken by ISF forces, aswell as most of the larger islands. The Ivory Lance retreated to the southern most islands, and fought guerilla battles on the mainlands. Despite the ISF's initial success, they failed to take control over the remaining islands. The Ivory Lance led a successful raid against an ISF Fort on Cape Hummingbird, capturing the fort and the weapons and ammunition within. The next month, a platoon of ISF warships who were moored not far from Kilgarad were set ablaze during the night, and promptly sank into the void. The ISF retaliated by raiding one of the rebellion's weapons caches on the southern edges. One of the Ivory Lance's leaders, Jack Terrance, was captured during this raid and brought to Davorfall for interrogation. The civil war continued on. Year 424 After six years of fighting, the Ivory Lance appeared to finally make some ground. They managed to capture thirteen towns in a week, thanks to the help of the citizens, and due to supply issues on the side of the ISF. They were blitzing towards Kilgarad with a tremendous speed. The ISF prepared for the incoming siege by lodging two warships between the two hills where the city was located inbetween, each on of the entrances sides, and aimed the cannons directly downward. Being out-armed and ill-wanting to take so many casualties, the Ivory Lance had to come up with a different solution to take the city. Year 425 The siege continued on, Kilgarad was in a total lockdown. A veteran rebel by the name of Gerard Acelle came up with the idea to take a small drifter island, mine it out so it would be hollow, fill it with as much explosives as they could get their hands on, and simply levitate it towards the warships. Running out of options, the Ivory Lance went on with Acelle's plan, and after a month of preparation, they had their rocky weapon ready. When the ISF saw that an entire island with a large bomb-icon painted on its side was levitating towards their warships, they tried prematurely detonating it before it was in reach by shooting their cannons at it, but the stone was too thick to penetrate it. Being now dangerously within range, and with no other options, the ISF surrendered and Kilgarad was swiftly taken by the Ivory Lance without ever needing to detonate the bomb. Year 426 The next year, all of the other islands were taken by the Ivory Lance. Most battles were now only being fought out in the sky, where the ISF managed to keep the rebels pushed back, and limited their airspace to mainly between their islands. When the ISF was preparing for a siege to retake Kilgarad, the civil government of the empire realized that the war efforts were taking too much resources, and, having had increased reports of unhappiness regarding the ISF, from citizens from different parts of the empire, they decided to pause the wa and instead focus on the drought. The Ivory Lance saw this as a sign of defeat, and promptly celebrated their "independence" in Kilgarad. Some ISF ships were refitted to cargo vessels, and helped in the effort to resupply the empire with food. Years 426-430 The drought on the Emberland plateau seemed to come to an end, at last. The farms were having good harvests again, and the trade around Emberland flourished again. Erikson Vellandrion's city project was resumed, and made livable within five years. The ISF, seeing the centrally located floating city as a strategic position, should the civil war ever continue, moved their headquarters there. Years 430+ The term "Empire of Emberland" became redundant, as most government functions were taken over by the ISF. "Federation" became the preferred term over "Empire". The only institutions still considered to be part of the old garde are those that belong to the royal family, who are still considered the rightful rulers, although mostly ceremonially.